Display container



R. E. PAIGE DISPLAY CONTAINER Filed Nov. 29, 1946 .......,.,..7.0,... 55 33 qr-1 wo 31 31 Richard )5. 1 01599 34 32 30 35 Q! I ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 5, 1950 STATES DISEIFA CONEIAIISEK: Richard EZjPa'ige, New York," N. Y'.

Application Noyembeni29, 19.48,SeniwliNlU;.*712,81fi

2 Claims, (Cl.-v

My, present invention relates; generally to ;con tainers and has, particulan reference: -;-to:- light: weight! mdisplay containers vtrier accommodating: retail commodities. V

The invention isydirec-ted specifically i toagconen 5 M tainer of the kind which comprises-1a pl atformi adapted to seaport, an item gto :be@disp1 ayed,-:: an aacover ,of archeceicontour whoseucross-section; conforms substantially to an invertedaUw The platform formsmart :otma ,basestructure p ieimaterial -,which is: inherentlmgweak and :relativeht:

limp. Theainventionithnseiendsitselaf readilyiit the ,i creation ,of,. a thoroughly; 1 practical. disnlay.;. container in which pthei zcoven;may=;be composed i, of-an inexpensive thinblank 50f transparenhsubstanee suchiasi ,synthetici Zplafitifl of the acetate type, whereby the.- accommodated ,item 1 may be; constantly; exposed 1 to. .view through :the. icovenl It a eature .ofethewinvention to 1form4the15 cover by bending a blank, of sheet materiahintor: an. arched configur ation whose, cross-section 01k; fo'rms substantially to, an inverted .u, and :by pro: viding the cover with amend closure at atleast, one,-and preferably at both, of,itsiends, eachiendclosure being formed by. deflecting an i integral.- section of the blank into a reentrantdisposition,. This deflection of the blankiat onetor both ofiitsiz ends is'unusually effective-to rigidity thestrncr ture: The staunch and relatively stron quality of-ithecover is, further enhanced .by the. manner in: which "the longitudinal edges of, the cover are charac-eei' that thecover-maybewholly or partially liftable from the base structurepifdesirjedfi I 'achieve the-'ioregoins; general objects-and ad- 55 tive in afiiordingfiisibile;

vantages: and such-other obiectsendwa vantases as-inay hereinaf er anneal;olti e peint d'out, in the mannen-illustrativelyexe p1 -i'1' le :1- in; thesaccom'yg panyin s rawings; -im which :1.

Fi une 1 isa per pective yiew ofzaid nla cona tainei constructedsin1accoizdancewithzthenresent: invention; 5

Figure ;-2 ,iS". a crosssectionahwiew taken; subs: st n i llnelona the dine-2+1 of Fi ur :1;;;

Flea-re 13 .is? an -exp o' edsvicwvofyihe essentials into the zcenstructi nzashowm imFienres .1 and-:

Fieuree isia fra mentary: p an viewzofithe blankf of which-lithe cement-Figures manbe:eomno eda Fi ure-:5 isiaw similar t Fi ure 1 illustrate in ziseneral:modmed-featur 5:;

Fi ure 6 tiSgfi ;-fragmentary'cross-sectional ViBWzs takemsubstantiallmalong .ithe; 1ine,L 6+I6-.5Ofmg5? ure Fignrevfl is; --a cross -sectional .wiew taken substantiallyoalong :the line 'l lQofiFigure-Bfend= Figure 8 is-a fragmentary -p1anview of the blanks Oil-Which theicover of Figure :5 :may be composed"? Inieachzofrtthe embodiments" herein chosen forillustration; :the .baseustructure :is of a --character which may be conveniently formedof inexpensive cardboardsfimaterial, comprisinga box-like-elementihavii-ngaa bottomiwalrandmpstanding side walls aand-ga snugly-fitted insert having a top wall and-impending -sideuwalls', the topiwall constitutingia platform:v In: each case,- I have chosen to A illustrate? a base'istrueture which is substantially 1'ectangiilar.v in shapei.

Thus auponreference-to Figures 1- 3,'-'it will be observed ith'at p substantially rectangular box-n like element:is; -fo1med.:with abottom-wall I 0 and upstanding side walls H and is adapted-snuglyto' accommodate a -similar element-having a stop Wa'HiZ andfiepend-ingwalls i35- The--wa1ls; |3-a1 e preiiera-bly of slig htly lessdepth' than the walls I l,j so that theeparts assume the relationship. shown irr Figure -2 when-these --two elements are nested j; to'gethew In Figure: 2; the spacing between ,the walls -|3 and ll *islslightly exaggerated ,for,, the sake of clearnesswaf illustration, and it wi1l.],bei, understood that the interfitting relationship ,ba tweenthese two-elements is quite snug.

The top wall I Ziconstitutes aipla'tform adapted; to support an item whichiislto be, accommodated, within-the, CQnta'iner in a display position. This I; item maybe, for examples watchiaa iountaini peny-amele'ment oiiewelry ornthe -lileer, The. i wvention is not) restricted, however; to the -displan of any particular article and these-ex mple are:

-mentioned merely to explain the general nature the manner in which this blank is to be deflected and associated with the base structure, the material may be extremely thin. A sheet of acetate resin having a thickness of a small part of an inch is quite satisfactory.

The blank I4 is substantially rectangular, and has a length substantially equal to the length of the platform I2. At at least one end of the blank, preferably at both ends, a fold line I5 is produced by scoring or otherwise, and this fold line is substantially U-shaped. It intersects the end edge I6 at points I! which are slightly spaced from the side edges of the blank. In forming the cover, the blank I 4 is first arched to define a cross-section which conforms substantially to an inverted U, and the section I 8 within the confines of the fold line I5 is then deflected inwardly into a reentrant disposition as shown most clearly in Figures 1 and 3. Since the points i! are slightly spaced from the longitudinal edges of the blank I4, the cover is provided with opposite extensions I9 adapted to be inserted into the crevices between the corresponding superposed walls I3 and H of the base structure. The parts are so dimensioned that when these extensions are thus inserted into engagement with the base structure, as shown most clearly in Figure 2, the lower edge I6 f the deflected section I8 will contact with and rest upon the top of the platform I2. Moreover, the line of fold I is preferably so chosen, with respect to the arching to which the blank I4 is subjected, that the deflected section I8 will lie along a cylindrical surface which intersects the plane of the platform I2 at right angles.

The inward deflections of the section I8, coupled with the engagement of the extensions 59 with the base structure, imparts to the cover a resultant rigidity of unusual character notwithstanding the initially limp and relatively thin quality of the blank I4. The structure which results is therefore strong and wear-resistant, and though it is simple and inexpensive it is admirably effective in accommodating and attractively displaying the item of merchandise which it contains.

Reliance may safely be placed upon the mere frictional engagement of the extensions I 9 between the depending walls I 3 and the corresponding outer walls I I. However, if desired, either or both of the extensions I9 may be more firmly secured in association with the base structure. For example, either of the extensions I9 may be adhesively secured to the depending wall I3 which it overlies, or it may be secured to such wall by means of a staple or the like. Where one of the extensions I9 is thus engaged, the other is free to be lifted out of engagement with the base,

whereby the cover resembles a hinged lid whose lifting permits access to the accommodated item of merchandise. Where neither of the extensions I9 is engaged otherwise than by friction, the entire cover may be lifted bodily out of engagement with the base structure. The inwardly- All) deflected end sections I8 afford a convenient pair of hand grips by means of which this may be accomplished. A replacement of the cover into engagement with the base structure is quite simple, involving nothing more than the re-insertion of the extensions I9 into their respective crevices in the base structure.

The cover need not necessarily be smoothly arched along a continuous curve, as shown in Figures 1-3. If desired, the cross-section of the cover, while still of substantially inverted-U shape, may be defined by angularly related sections of various kinds, as illustratively shown in Figures 5-8.

The blank 29 (Figure 8) is substantially rectangular, and its longitudinal margins 2! form extensions corresponding to those designated I9 in Figures 1-3. These extensions are separated from the main portion of the blank 29 by lines of fold 22. Extending inwardly from each end edge 23 is a substantially U-shaped line of fold corresponding to the line I5 of Figure 4. In Figure 8, however, this line consists of three straight sections 24, 25 and 26, the section 25 lying parallel to the edge 23, and the sections 24 and 26 diverging outwardly toward the points 21 at the ends of the fold lines 22.

Extending lengthwise of the blank 20, are the parallel fold lines 28 which intersect the line 25 at its ends.

The blank 20 is deformed in the same way as the blank I4 hereinbefore described. It is first arched into a configuration whose cross-section conforms substantially to an inverted U. How ever, this arching is not accomplished by a smooth curvature, but by folding the blank along the lines 22 and 28. Each trapezoidal end section 29 is then deflected into a reentrant disposition, as shown most clearly in Figures 5 and 6.

The base structure is constructed as hereinbefore described, consisting of an outer box-like element 30 having upstanding side walls 3!, and a snugly-fitting insert having the platform wall 32 and the depending walls 33.

The cover is fitted into engagement with this base structure by positioning extensions 2| between the opposite longitudinal walls 33 and SI, respectively. In the construction shown, one of the extensions 2| (the one shown at the left in Figure '7) is secured by means of one or more staples 34 to the corresponding depending wall 33; and the other of the extensions 2| (shown at the right of Figure 7) is provided with an upwardly extending tab 35 which serves as a convenient finger grip for lifting the cover from the base structure, as shown by dot-and-dash lines in Figure '7. This lifting of the cover permits access to the accommodated article.

As in the embodiment illustrated in Figures 1-3, the cover of Figures 58 affords a thorough enclosure of the displayed item, the end edge 23 of the inwardly-deflected closure section resting upon the platform 32.

The embodiment of Figure 5 illustrates the manner in which the cross-sectional configuration of the cover may readily be modified to suit varying requirements or desires. the two longitudinal fold lines 28 were to be replaced by a single medial fold line, the cover would have its upper portion of inverted V crosssection. However, so long as the cross-section conforms substantially to an inverted U, these minor modifications in contour do not alter the basic nature of the invention.

Other minor modifications will readily suggest For example, if p themselves to those skilled in the art. For example, the base structure need not necessarily be formed of two nested elements of the character herein illustrated; nor need the base structure be strictly rectangular, as shown. Moreover, while the cover is preferably transparent throughout its entire extent, since this affords the maximum visibility of the accommodated item of merchandise, the cover may, if desired, be composed either wholly or in part of material which is either partially or completely opaque.

In eneral, it will be understood that those familiar with this art may readily make changes in the details herein described and illustrated, without necessarily departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention and illustrated its use, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a display container: a base structure comprising a box-like element having a bottom wall and upstanding side walls, and a platform snugl fitted within said element and provided with opposite depending walls, said platform being adapted to support an item to be displayed; and a cover having a cross-section conforming substantially to an inverted U, the arms of the U having extensions snugly disposed in the crevices between said depending walls and the corresponding side walls of the box-like element, said REFERENCES CITED Tl ie following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 256,064 Smith Apr. 4, 1882 1,553,827 Lee Sept. 15, 1925 1587,4105 North June 1, 1926 1,896,721 Richards Feb. '7, 1933 2,120,826 Young -June 14, 1938 2,158,756 Knorpp May 16, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 519,577 Great Britain Apr. 1, 1940 

